Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

This week, we look at weird, unhinged advertising.Like the “PuppyMonkeyBaby” Super Bowl commercial. The sad Skittles commercial where everything a man touches turns to Skittles.A leather diaper you can wear to heavy metal concerts so you won’t miss any songs.And a pizza that takes a year and a half to be delivered to your home.We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t, subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we listen to the most creative use of sound and voice. Like the mattress company that gave people discounts based on how loud they snored. We’ll explore a radio campaign that says ugly is a superpower. And we’ll play a vinyl record that was left out in the sun that warns people about the harmful effects of UV rays. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t, subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are many products in the world that have “unintended uses.”Originally designed for one purpose, the general public has discovered alternate uses for these items.From Windex to baking soda to Ozempic, the makers of these products had no idea they would be used for so many unimagined tasks.And in one story today, the alternate use of diapers may surprise you.We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t, subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the Oscars around the corner, we take a look at creative movie marketing.We’ll talk about miniature billboards that promoted Ant-Man.A billboard that actually sweated to promote an action film.And we’ll discuss a movie that was saved by a Beatle – then got banned, and was a box office success.We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t, subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we tip our hat to the tiny, small innovations that make our lives better. Like the tiny arrow on your fuel gauge. And the bread clip. And the miniscule treadwear indicators on your car tires. In every case, the inventor saw something nobody else saw, and their miniature ideas went down in history. Small Wonders.We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t, subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we look at the link between food and cars. Did you know that Volkswagen makes sausages.And Rolls-Royce makes honey.Did you know cars have even been named after foods and beverages – like the Mitsubishi Pistachio and the Suzuki Cappuccino.It’s true – and it’s tasty marketing.We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t, subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we look at the staying power of Catalogues.They’ve been around since the mid 1800s, and they helped build the country.We’ll talk about how catalogues let retailers reach people in far-flung towns and villages.How catalogues finally allowed rural folks to have access to the same goods as city dwellers.And how Seinfeld’s J. Peterman became an owner of the actual J. Peterman catalogue.We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t, subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.